Description
This vibrant and flavorful Grilled Skirt Steak with Lemon Herb Couscous Salad is perfect for a light yet satisfying meal. Marinated skirt steak is grilled to perfection and served alongside a refreshing couscous salad bursting with fresh herbs, cucumber, and feta.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Marinade/Dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Skirt Steak:
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
For the Lemon Herb Couscous Salad:
- 1 cup dry Israeli couscous (pearl couscous)
- 1 mini cucumber (or 1/2 English cucumber), chopped
- 4 scallions (green onions), chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (or a non-dairy alternative)
For Serving (Optional):
- Flaky sea salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Make Marinade/Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined.
- Marinate Steak: Place the skirt steak in a shallow dish (or a resealable plastic bag). Pour half of the marinade over the steak, turning the pieces to ensure they are fully coated. Cover the dish with plastic wrap (or seal the bag). Marinate for 30-45 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. If marinating in the refrigerator, let the steak come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. Reserve the remaining marinade for the couscous salad.
- Cook Couscous: While the steak is marinating, cook the Israeli couscous according to the package directions.
- Cool Couscous: Once cooked, drain the couscous into a colander. Rinse immediately under cold running water until the couscous is completely cool. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This prevents a soggy salad.
- Make Couscous Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled couscous, chopped cucumber, chopped scallions, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh parsley, and crumbled feta cheese. Pour the reserved marinade (that was not used on the raw steak) over the couscous salad and toss gently to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate Salad: Cover the couscous salad and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 450-500°F / 232-260°C).
- Grill Steak: Remove the steak from the marinade; discard the used marinade. Grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked to your desired level of doneness. Skirt steak is best served medium-rare to medium.
- Rest Steak: Transfer the grilled steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful steak.
- Slice Steak: After resting, slice the skirt steak against the grain into thin strips.
- Serve: Sprinkle the sliced steak with flaky sea salt (if desired) and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve alongside the chilled lemon herb couscous salad.
Notes
- Skirt Steak: Skirt steak is a flavorful and relatively thin cut of beef that cooks quickly. If you can’t find skirt steak, you can substitute flank steak.
- Marinade Safety: Do not reuse the marinade that the raw steak was in. The recipe is specifically designed to use half the marinade for the steak and the other half for the couscous salad to avoid cross-contamination.
- Couscous: Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous) is larger than regular couscous and has a chewier texture. You can substitute regular couscous, but the texture will be different.
- Feta Cheese: If you don’t like feta cheese, you can substitute crumbled goat cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
- Make-Ahead: The couscous salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The steak is best grilled just before serving.
- Serving Suggestions: This dish is a complete meal on its own, but you can also serve it with grilled vegetables or a simple green salad.